


Coffee's for Closers

by CapriciouslyDoomed, orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Collegestuck, F/M, Humanstuck, Multi, coffee shop AU, more characters and relationships will be added as the story progresses, we're doing it guys we're making a shitty cliche longfic hell yeah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapriciouslyDoomed/pseuds/CapriciouslyDoomed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Karkat Vantas had planned to do was make up the difference for his college tuition that he and his brother were unable to afford. He didn't expect to get hired as a barista at Alternia University's on-campus Starbucks, or to meet a girl who was not only blind but definitely off her rocker. He didn't expect to end up being said girl's co-worker or to get constantly harassed by her and her equally ridiculous group of friends. He didn't plan on becoming close enough to her to figure out some rather unsettling things about her, and have it result in get dragged into a whole load of drama and bullshit that was probably more trouble than it was worth. </p><p>And he most definitely didn't expect to fall in love with her in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> so riley and i have decided to combine forces to create a karezi longfic. there aren't very many good ones, regrettably, and despite the fact that coffee shop aus are relatively popular we have yet to see any karezi ones. we're going to fix that, and hopefully stir up some excitement for the ship. buckle your seatbelts, this is going to be a romcom-esque rollercoaster of drama and emotional turmoil.
> 
> -DQ

\--- gallowsCalibrator[GC] began pestering twinArmaggedons[TA] --- 

GC: Hey nerd  
GC: You ready to head off to college and be an even bigger nerd yet?  
TA: wow that's such a sick burn, holy shit.   
TA: especially coming from the chick who's not only going to go to college, but waste away in law school for a few years after that and probably die of boredom if she's lucky.  
GC: >:P  
GC: There is nothing boring about justice, Sollux  
GC: Especially getting to dish it out to smartmouthed assholes like you!  
TA: okay. have fun finding someone to drive you all the way to my house to come dispense your shitty justice or whatever.  
TA: since, you know, you can't do it yourself.  
GC: Ouch  
GC: That was a low blow, how could you insult my disability like that >:[  
TA: we both know that's bullshit. for one thing, you're just fine on a computer.  
TA: also, you're not really offended. you make more jokes about your "disability" than anyone else does.  
GC: I know, but so far youre the only person who hasnt given me a hurried and embarrassed apology yet for saying something like that  
GC: Do you have any idea how hilarious it is to have someone bump into me and be like "watch where youre going!" and then get all flustered when i tell them im blind??  
GC: It never gets old  
GC: Oh and speaking of driving over to dispense my justice  
GC: I will actually be doing that very soon  
TA: seriously?? god dammit, i was joking.  
GC: I know  
GC: But it seemed like a good time to bring up the fact that in the near future we will basically be living together  
GC: And you will be able to witness my bullshit blind girl act firsthand  
TA: um what the hell are you talking about? you lost me.  
GC: Im going to college with you, dummy!   
TA: wait. you're not just messing with me?   
TA: you're actually going to alternia university?  
GC: Yep!  
TA: ok ok hold up  
TA: how long have you known about this?  
GC: Well I got accepted a few months ago  
GC: So ive known for a while now  
TA: and you didn't tell me??  
TA: what the fuck tz, i thought we were friends.  
GC: I thought it would be a nice surprise for you to look forward to on your first day of adult independence!   
GC: You dont sound very excited  
TA: i'm irritated because you've been keeping it from me this whole time!   
GC: Jeez no need to get so butthurt over it  
TA: don't tell people what to do with their bodies.  
TA: i think getting butthurt is a perfectly normal way to react to realizing one of your best friends has been keeping something from you.  
GC: Ooooooh my god stop bitching about it  
GC: Youre just trying to cover up how excited you really are that youre gonna be able to hang out with me in person  
TA: it's funny how you act like people's lives revolve around you.  
TA: like, you didn't even take into consideration the fact that i might not actually be that excited to see you. almost like the very idea was inconceivable for you.  
GC: Gasp!  
GC: What are you trying to say, Sollux?  
GC: That you DONT want me to be there with you when we begin our journey into adulthood and responsibility???  
GC: Im so hurt  
GC: >:[[[[[  
GC: Look what you did, im so hurt my cute little emote has multiple frowns  
GC: How could you??  
TA: i know, i'm a heartless monster.  
GC: Maybe i should just reconsider what college to attend  
GC: Im sure i can find someone who will appreciate my presence more  
TA: yeah right, you wouldn't pass up this kind of opportunity. you'll go wherever your friends go.  
GC: But what if my other friends are all going somewhere else and i sacrificed a totally rad college experience with them to hang out with your dumb nerd butt instead?  
TA: i don't know, that depends. are they?  
GC: Maybe  
GC: Maybe they all just went far, far away  
GC: So far that i probably wont ever see them again  
TA: but you can't see them in the first place.  
GC: ...  
GC: Ugh that was appalling, you suck  
TA: so i've been told.  
GC: Okay so i was lucky enough to get all my friends in one place for college, so what? Its a good thing  
TA: but you told them already, didn't you.  
TA: i bet you did.  
GC: Of course i did, i hang out with them on a regular basis stupid  
GC: Itd be a lot harder to keep it from them  
TA: so you chose to lie to me specifically.  
TA: and no one else.  
GC: Wow here we are at square one again  
GC: The circle of stupidity is complete  
GC: Hopefully when you start hanging out with me and my friends our coolness will rub off on you and youll stop being so lame  
TA: i doubt it.  
TA: i never said i'd talk to your friends, anyway. they're weird.  
GC: Your friends are weird too, you arent even in any position to judge mine  
TA: i guess not.   
TA: and there's also the fact that i talk to you.  
GC: Exactly!  
TA: but i'll have my other friends to hang out with, just so you know.  
GC: Oh I get it, so im not cool enough for you  
TA: i thought we'd already established that.  
GC: Which of your friends got accepted, though? At least let me know what my competition is  
TA: kk, gz and kn.  
TA: so basically all of them, actually.  
GC: So youve got the annoying one whos always yelling, his creepy ass juggalo friend and that girl who likes fashion and making clothes or something  
GC: Wow now that i think about it none of your friends are as cool as me  
GC: I dont know what i was even worrying about there  
TA: but none of your friends are as cool as me, either.  
GC: Hmm well this is truly a dilemma  
GC: In that case why dont we all just hang out together in a group?  
TA: i don't know if that's such a good idea.  
GC: But why not? It could be fun!   
GC: Youre not worried that im going to embarrass you in front of your lame friends are you?  
GC: Or do you think im gonna steal them from you? >:]  
TA: no, i just don't like big noisy groups.   
TA: it's complete and utter chaos and something bad's going to happen, i just know it.  
GC: Dont worry, i can keep a handle on Vriska   
GC: Ill make sure she doesnt put anyone in the hospital again  
TA: ...again?  
GC: Whoa did i say again? Ignore that, no big deal  
GC: Oh hey look at the time! Ive gotta go get packed  
GC: Bye!

\--- gallowsCalibrator[GC] has ceased pestering twinArmaggedons[TA] ---

TA: yeah ok, have fun "getting packed" and avoiding the topic of how fucking insane all the people you hang out with are.  
TA: then again, you had to get it from somewhere. why am i even surprised.  
TA: don't think we aren't going to talk about this later, tz. because we are.  
TA: i'm onto you, you can't hide the truth from me forever. you'll see.  
TA: or not. eheheh.

\--- twinArmaggedons[TA] has ceased pestering gallowsCalibrator[GC] ---


	2. Reunions, Introductions, and Bad First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally arriving at Alternia University, Terezi is excited to meet up with her old friends and make new ones. Will she be able to handle whatever the campus and its peculiar residents can throw at her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawls out of the grave* guess who's back and better than ever
> 
> that's right, it's us. now with a new (read: less terrible) title and a bit more time on our hands.
> 
> ok, so i know we've been gone for 2 years, and you probably weren't expecting to hear from us ever again, but we do plan on finishing this - hopefully in a more timely manner now that we're not as busy at the moment with important shit like school and work. riley and i have been finishing our storyboard over the past few weeks and getting ready to kick this off, and we figured that karezi week would be the perfect time to do it. feel free to tell us what you think, since we're pretty excited to be back and are hoping to stir some hype!
> 
> -DQ
> 
> Basically everything Renee said. The planning is pretty much finished at this point, so it'll be a lot easier to write chapters more regularly. I'm really excited to get this thing going, so hopefully everyone likes it so far!
> 
> Have a good Karezi Week!  
> -CD

Your name is Terezi Pyrope, and you stride onto your college's campus for the first time with far more confidence than anyone would think a blind girl should have. 

Okay, there are two things wrong with that statement. First of all, you're not technically blind – you can see light and colors. They're all just really blurry, more so than glasses or contacts could ever remedy on their own. That means that you're not allowed to drive and it's unwise to explore unfamiliar places alone, even with your trusty cane at your side. You’ve been told you could always get surgery to fix it, but why bother? You manage just fine even with a handicap, as far as you’re concerned.

Secondly, you're not just a girl anymore. No, you're a woman now, a fully-fledged nineteen-year-old. You can practically _taste_ all the independence that comes with that, along the significantly less fun responsibility and pressure put on you to be a productive member of society. Well, you'll show them. You'll show them all what a legally blind chick is capable of, just like you did when you breezed through high school with a 4.13 GPA. They're all going to respect you one way or another, and if you have to strike fear into everyone's hearts to make that happen, then so be it. 

You arranged to meet one of your internet buddies here, which will make it the first time you've seen him in months. Sollux isn't one of the most inherently reliable people ever, but with enough nagging you managed to convince him to meet you outside the front office and act as your guide in this new environment. Of course, you've been here before, but aren't familiar enough with the layout to know your way around properly. This way, at least you won't end up tumbling down a flight of stairs or some shit. Lousy goddamn stupid stairs.

So that's exactly what you're doing at the moment: standing idly outside the front office with your backpack and your rolling suitcase, tapping your cane on the pavement as you wait for him to show up. You can see colored blobs that you identify as other people milling around, and hear footsteps walking by every so often.

There's one set of footsteps that you're able to pick out from the rest instantly, though, and that's only because they're approaching you from behind and making an obvious effort to remain quiet. A wide grin splits your features, but you don't turn around yet. Instead, you wait for the subtle brush of sneaker soles on the ground to grow closer, mentally calculating when they'll be close enough for you to make your move.

A countdown begins in your head. 5, 4. 3, 2… _Whack!_ You quickly flip your cane around and jab the handle backwards. 

You hear a shout of “Ow, _fuck_!” followed by a thud as the offender topples over and lands on his ass behind you.

Only then do you turn, smiling innocently. “Oh, hey Sollux! I didn’t see you there!”

Sollux grumbles and gets to his feet, dusting himself off with an air of indignation. “I still don’t understand how the fuck you do that. It’s _so_ unfair.”

You cock your head to the side a little. “Do what, fend off potential assailants?” At that, you use your cane to drub lightly at his shins. “I know, it’s amazing how I’m not completely helpless just because I’m blind!”

“Shut up, you know that’s not what I meant. Besides, no one around here pulls the ‘I have a disability and am therefore helpless’ card like you do.”

“Yes, you tell me that every time you get the opportunity. It’s a joke, Sollux. You’re familiar with those, yes? They’re rhetorical devices meant to elicit laughter from an audience,” you remind him dryly. “Here’s a hint: you’re the audience, and this is the part where you laugh and validate my winning sense of humor.”

“And here I thought I was only supposed to laugh at jokes if they were funny,” he says, then starts snickering a little at his _own_ joke like a complete tool.

You punch one of his bony shoulders in response. “ _Wow_ , what a sick burn - at least a second-degree one. Quick, call an ambulance,” you deadpan.

He rolls his eyes. “Alright, that’s enough fake drama from you. Do you want me to help you around or not?”

“Oh, don’t be such a buzzkill. If you wanted to get going that badly, all you had to do was say so,” you remind him, reaching to rest your hand on his arm so that he can better lead you.

You’ve met up with Sollux only a few times in person, since the two of you didn’t exactly live near each other before. He’s just as dorky and snide as you remember him, and that becomes obvious the longer the tour goes on, complete with little nuggets of wisdom like “This is where rich hipsters come to get their caffeine fix” when you pass the small Starbucks just outside the dining hall.

You blink in surprise. “Is that a Starbucks? They have one of those here?”

“Yeah, this place has a lot of money to blow, in case you couldn’t already tell. On the bright side, having that kind of budget means their computers won’t be total shit.”

Of course he’d care about that. He’s majoring in programming, after all. “Yes, we get it, you’re a nerd who loves computers. I’m happy for you, really,” you pretend to gush as you drag him right along.

You proceed to forget almost completely about the small coffee shop then, your attention having already shifted to another place of interest. You’re actually leading him more than he’s leading you, which sort of defeats the purpose of having a guide in the first place, but he’s given up on pointing this out to you after the first few times he caught you charging ahead. The rest of your time spent navigating the school with Sollux progresses in almost exactly that manner, with him pointing new things out, often with derisive comments attached, and you keeping the pace.

It ends with the two of you retrieving the keys to your respective rooms from the dorm offices. You live in separate halls, obviously, so you decide to part ways there to find where you’ll be living for the next four years of your life, and whom you’ll be spending that time with.

His roommate will be someone he’s never met before, but you know yours all too well. As you give Sollux a parting wave, you mentally steel yourself for what will surely be an interesting meetup with your childhood best friend and favorite threat to public safety, Vriska Serket.

When you had received the e-mail that confirmed Vriska as your roommate, you were both excited and nervous. Nervous, because you’d been around Vriska enough growing up to know that being left to your own devices with her… could be trouble. There had been more than one occasion when you’d accidentally stepped on her dice, leading you to swear loudly as she snorted from her own corner of the room.

However, the sheer excitement in Vriska’s voice when she had her chance to find out the good news would hopefully be worth it. No, it _would_ be worth it, because knowing her, she hadn’t even bothered to open the e-mail. In fact, you faintly recall her bragging about how luck was always on her side, and whoever was her roommate should feel _honoured_.

Back then you had just laughed and called her vain.

Pausing at the door, you set your rolling suitcase on the floor and prepare to muster your best shit-eating grin. Your stomach flip-flops as you straighten your posture.The door swings open easily and you call out a greeting with a cackle.

“Honey, I’m ho-ome!”

And what comes next is music to your ears.

“Oh god, _no_.”

A blurry silhouette of black and blue spins around so quickly that you can make out the wisps of her blue-streaked hair colliding with the sides of her face. Suddenly, it’s okay that you’re blind, because just imagining the look of horror on Vriska’s face - the shock of what her ‘pure luck’ has brought her - is enough to keep you entertained. 

Meanwhile, Vriska’s voice grows loud with anger (or could that be possibly be panic?) to the point where you aren’t sure if she’s talking to you or herself.

“No, no, no, no, _no_. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at law school!”

“That isn’t important right now. Didn’t you read the e-mail, Vris?” You ask, knowing full well by this point that you were right: She hadn’t bothered to read it. Typical Serket.

“Don’t you ‘Vris’ me!” She makes sure to put a long emphasis on the nickname, mocking you even now that her composure has faltered. “Did my mother ask you to do this? What, are you supposed to be my babysitter or something? A blind babysitter. How fucking fantastic.” 

Sarcasm drips from her voice and as much as you want to poke fun at her, you force yourself to get serious. “You sound a little upset. Almost... caught off guard?” Your tone is strangely calm, the grin on your face long gone as you begin to challenge her once again. Only this time, it’s a different kind of challenge. Not the kind that would cause the two of you to push the other off the playground when you were kids, leading to picking each other back up and dusting yourselves off in good fun. No, this time it's quieter - as if you're daring her to make more of a scene.

Thankfully, you’ve known the girl in front of you long enough to know that it works. Immediately, she takes in a deep breath and somehow manages to regain her composure. Amazingly, she thinks that there’s still time for her to come out of this on top, as long as she acts convincingly enough. You aren’t entirely sure if it will work, but you’re not about to stop her from trying. “Oh no, I’m not upset,” she reassures you, “I’m just worried about you. Are you sure you’re ready for this? I mean, I’m sure I’ll manage to find _someone_ on this campus who isn’t a complete loser, but what about the almighty Terezi Pyrope? This isn’t high school anymore, you know.”

You manage to take her verbal blow with ease, not expecting anything less from your best friend. In fact, deep, deep down, a part of you is proud of her rising to the occasion so well. Giving her a sharp smile, you reply coolly, “Don’t worry about me. I already have friends here. In fact, I’ve already met with one of them today.”

“Oh yeah? Who?” There’s doubt in her voice, and it leaves a taste in your mouth that makes you want to wash it away with soda.

“His name is Sollux,” you tell her instead of giving in to reach for the can in your backpack.

“That kid you’d always talk to online? You mean he’s real?” This time she gives a half-laugh, like she was convinced that he’d been some sort of catfish all along.

Rolling your eyes behind your glasses, you sigh. “ _Yes_ , Vriska. I introduced you two a year or two ago.” Of course she hadn’t bothered to remember him.

“Well he obviously wasn’t important enough to leave a lasting impression,” she taunts. There’s the squeak of a chair, followed closely by the clunk of a pair of boots landing on a desk, and you can only imagine the laid back position she’d taken on her side of the room. “Why don’t you refresh my memory, Rez?”

“It was that time we LARPed with that girl… I think her name was Aradia? He was the tall guy hanging around her a lot, and you kept complaining that they weren’t invested enough in it,” you recount for her. Honestly, it was a bit depressing to have a best friend who could forget your time together so easily. Pushing the feeling aside, you continued on. “Then, you decided to take over their side of the playing field like an asshole-”

“Hey!” She interrupts, clearly offended by your name calling. Her boots softly thud against the floor as she moves from the desk to her bed. It actually manages to throw you off, and it takes a moment to recollect your thoughts.

“It _was_ an asshole move,” you point out neutrally, turning your head to the sound of her voice. “Anyway, after that you kept talking about how even Eridan would put up a better fight, and how sad it was that they couldn’t even bother to learn from you as an opponent-”

“Boooooooo _ring_.” Vriska cuts you off, adding in a fake yawn for dramatic effect. You can hear the springs in her mattress creak as she jumps up. Apparently, she was either done with the recollection, or had given up entirely on getting comfortable. “I’m going out. Gotta find _someone_ at this school who realizes just how great my advice is before classes start.”

“Try not to break anyone’s legs,” you remind her absentmindedly while you lift your suitcase onto the bed for unpacking - a subtle reminder that you could be just as obnoxious as she was if needed.

“Oh my god, it was _one time_.” She yells before slamming the door behind her.

Snickering to yourself, you unzip your suitcase to see a hazy blur of colours. The original plan had been for your sister, Latula, to join you on this adventure of moving away to college. However, due to unforeseen circumstances that you still weren’t entirely clear on, she had called you last night to cancel. The good news was that she’d be bringing the rest of your shit next weekend - this time completely devoted to helping you start your college experience on the right foot.

The bad news, however, was that this means you only have a suitcase and backpack of things to fend off death with.

Okay, maybe that’s a little overdramatic.

Either way, your hands dive in and begin to fumble around the clothes in search of the textbooks you’ll be needing over the next week. They’re heavier than you’d like, with thick bindings and hard corners that nearly scrape against your skin when brushing by them. The thud of the pile landing on your desk is loud, but somehow also extremely satisfying. It brings the promise of new knowledge, or whatever.

A knock on the door, however, quickly pulls you away from your thoughts. You would have wondered if it had been Vriska forgetting her key, had it not been for the way the mysterious stranger had given a light _tap tap tap_. Steadying your pile of books on the desk, you cautiously make your way across the room. While it seems to have a fairly simple layout, you still don’t want to be caught off guard and trip over something stupid like a chair leg or corner of a bed.

What appears in front of you when you finally open the door is - just like the knocking - nearly the opposite of Vriska. Instead, it’s a girl who is all green olives rather than tasty blueberry.

She nearly pounces on you, and the scent of freshly cut grass is overwhelming to your senses. The girl’s small silhouette bounces up and down happily as she reaches to give your hand an enthusiastic shake, and for some reason you’re pretty sure that you can make out a bright green hat, regardless of the fact that it’s far too hot out to be wearing more clothing than strictly necessary. Still, you flash a grin at her, pleased to see someone around here who isn’t as apathetic as your roommate.

Introducing herself as Nepeta, she explains to you that she will be your Residence Advisor for the year, and to come to her with any concerns you might have about living on campus. An art student in her second year, she appeared to be the opposite of the loner-art-student stereotype you’d encountered in high school. That’s when her bubbly chattering comes to a pause. There’s a hesitation in the air, and you can practically feel her eyes as they most likely see the cane propped against your bed. You can just barely make out slightest sound of her breathing in, realizing the not-so-obvious truth about you. 

“Like what you see?” You do your best to flash her a sharp smile in an effort to lighten the mood. Bringing up a hand to adjust your red-tinted glasses, you take in your own deep breath through your nose. “The lady who tried them on before me was wearing the most delicious strawberry perfume, so when it was finally my turn, I knew they’d be the ones.”

Your attitude seemed to help, since Nepeta was able to answer with more ease in her voice. “Do you already know many students here?”

“Only a couple- Three, now that I know you,” you answer, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, there’s a coffee shop on campus. If you want, I could show you where it is! It’s pretty popular, but not too noisy. I mean, I’m more of a tea purrson myself, but it’s still good!”

Suddenly, you remember the coffee shop you’d passed with Sollux earlier that day, and wonder if she’s talking about the same one. With your curiosity piqued, it’s nearly impossible to say no to her offer. Plus, you’d be crazy to turn down free caffeine from such a friendly girl.

\------

The school’s Starbucks sounds like every other cafe you’ve been in since getting hooked on coffee. From the bell ringing as you open the door, to the quiet chatter of students returning from their summer off, to the sound of orders being called out from the counter. It’s familiar, and for some reason that much safer, as you approach the counter with Nepeta by your side. Your cane taps at the floor lightly, echoing off of the tiles so quietly that you’re probably the only one who can hear it.

However, all of that seems to fade away when an angry voice cuts through the ambient noise and calls for your attention.

“Excuse me?” Spoken through what sounds like clenched teeth, the normally polite phrase is anything but that in this case. The employee sounded irritated and cranky, but more than anything else, _tired_. Obviously he’s been overworked. For a moment, you consider feeling bad for him - but then he just _has_ to open his mouth again.

“Would you just order al-.” There’s a cough from somewhere a few feet away - someone obviously clearing their throat to announce their presence. The guy pauses to draw in a deep breath that seems more like the pouty huffing of a five-year-old to you. “If you’re having trouble deciding, please wait _before_ getting in line.”

“Hey Karkat!” Nepeta greets him happily, and you’re beginning to wonder if that’s just how she is with everyone. Meanwhile, you can’t help but snort.

“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” The voice snaps at you - angry all over again. 

“What kind of name is Karkat?” You ask. Honestly, you don’t really care about the name. However, a part of you wants to see just how much you can get on this guy’s nerves before he snaps. It’s almost as if that familiar feeling of rivalry and competition with Vriska were happening all over again - the kind of competition you thrive on. He sounds so hot headed, like a bright red cherry bomb that’s ready to explode at any moment. And if it does go off, you want to be the one who’s holding the lighter.

“Well, I’m sorry that my name is somehow such a goddamn inconvenience for you,” he snaps. “Not all of us can have names like John Smith, fucking king of conventional name-granting.”

There’s another cough, and he quickly yells a “sorry” to someone somewhere behind the counter. 

You raise an eyebrow at him. “King of conventional name-granting?” Your voice drips with a mixture of doubt and sarcasm, only to leave the employee in front of you huffing all over again. By this point, you’ve all but forgotten about Nepeta and any chance you had to make a good impression with her.

“Yeah,” he reaffirms. “Oh, but forgive me if that analogy isn’t up to par with your ridiculously high standards. Some of us have been working since eight in the goddamn morning, and are not only tired of indecisive customers like yourself, but also can’t help if their parents named them after a fucking crab. So I apologize if I don’t feel like putting up with any bullshit right now.”

At this point, both of your eyebrows are raised higher than you knew possible. Your mouth opens, trying to think of a witty comeback, but at the moment you’re drawing a blank. Thankfully, that’s when Nepeta makes her presence known again.

“Karkat?” She asks calmly, as if this entire exchange had happened between you and him telepathically.

“Yes?” he mutters, apparently still cooling off from his rant.

“One chai tea, and one black coffee, please.” She reaches for her wallet, ready to pay for the both of you.

You flash him a smirk, and you hear him loudly sigh at the sight of it - muttering a “yeah, sure, whatever”.

By the time you get to an empty table, the coffee is ready to burn your hand through the thin, papery cup. Quickly setting it down in front of you, you smile again at your new friend. This time it’s not quite as sharp as the one you’d given ‘Karkat’, and you try to put more warmth behind it. “I wonder just how far that guy had a stick jammed up his ass,” you try to joke.

She gives a small laugh. “Yeah. We don’t really have room to talk about weird names, though.”

You can smell her tea across from you, and you begin to wonder if you should have asked her for that instead.

“Don’t worry about him, though,” she tries to reassure you. “Karkat is always ranting about things, and it gets pretty crazy around here now that they’re understaffed, so it’s no wonder he’s tired.”

“Understaffed?”

“A few of the students who worked here last year graduated, so the assistant manager is trying to fill the spots - but it’s taking longer than they thought it would.”

You hum in response, letting the information sink in as your blow lightly on your coffee in a feeble attempt to get it to cool down faster. “Why don’t you work here?”

“I’m already the Residence Advisor,” Nepeta explains, gulping down her own drink impressively quickly. “I guess I have my hands full with that and classes.”

 _Understandable,_ you think. After all, not everyone can manage even just their classes while in school. Still, a part of you is curious about what it’s like here when there aren’t employees cursing at customers and students chugging caffeine like their life depends on it.

You've been planning on getting a job, since you need the money, but it would probably be crazy for a blind girl to try to work around scalding hot liquids. Then again, Vriska always did insist that you’re the crazy one.

“So,” you start, crossing your ankles and leaning forward with a grin, “where do I find an application?"


End file.
